Suffering is part of the human story — but it doesn’t have to define us. In this sermon, Rev. Dianne explores how we can understand suffering through multiple faith perspectives, discover meaning in our struggles, and turn to spiritual practices and community for relief and resilience.
For those who adhere to the Christian faith, suffering is a product of “the fall” – the consequences of human sin against God. It’s believed that we experience suffering because we’ve made “sinful” and wrong choices, and that the broken world we live in helps cause some of the suffering we endure.
In trying to live our perfectly imperfect human lives, to travel the journey from our birth to our death, we are likely to encounter suffering – conscious endurance of pain or distress.
Finding and developing spiritual resources – those practices, beliefs, objects and relationships – can include music, meditation, prayer, interactions with family and friends or religious leaders, communities like ours that provide support and inspiration, and other methods of returning to a sense of balance when your life has been turned upside down.
Theology of Suffering: Getting a Handle on It and Relieving It – Sermon PDF